The invention relates to a dual magnification telescope comprising an objective and an eyepiece. When an intensifier tube is interposed between the objective and the eyepiece, the device functions as an intensifying telescope used for viewing at low light levels.
Generally, this type of telescope has only one field of view and one magnification factor used both for detection and identification. However, the identification range can be extended substantially by providing an additional narrower field of view. This can be achieved by using an objective having two focal lengths or a zoom objective. Such an objective, however, substantially increases the weight and price of the device because the objective has a very large aperture on the order of F/1.2.